Era of Megafire

The Era of Megafires features a 60-minute live presentation with Dr. Paul Hessburg, a research landscape ecologist with Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station.

The Era of Megafires features a 60-minute live presentation with Dr. Paul Hessburg, a research landscape ecologist with Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station. In this multi-media presentation, Hessburg explains that over the past decade, the number of large, severe wildfires has been on the rise. These megafires are wildfires that burn more than 100,000 acres; they can destroy or severely damage human communities, wildlife habitat, and natural resources. This special presentation conveys the conditions that lead to megafires and how they might be managed or mitigated.

“A future without wildfire isn’t an option,” Hessburg says. “So, what kind of future do we want for our forests? The goal of this project is to share a vocabulary and increase the understanding and ability of ordinary citizens so that they can enter into local discussions and planning for a more certain future for public forest lands."

The impetus for The Era of Megafire stems from large, atypical wildfires burning favorite forests and homes of friends near Dr. Hessburg’s hometown of Wenatchee, in Central Washington. One of those fires, The Carlton Complex Fire, became the largest megafire in state history when it burned 256,000 acres and destroyed 322 homes. A year later in 2015, The Sleepy Hollow Fire destroyed 30 homes and several warehouses in his hometown. This presentation describes why forest conditions throughout the West are now conducive to megafires (fires burning over 100,000 acres), what’s at stake, and how we can tackle the problem.

Dr. Paul Hessburg is a research landscape ecologist with the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research
Station and a member of the University of Washington’s Affiliate Faculty. Dr. Hessburg’s work, published in leading scientific journals for more than 30 years, documents startling changes in forest conditions over the past century that account for why our forests are now experiencing so many large, severe wildfires.

Doors - 6:00pm
Show Starts - 7:00pm

General Admission - $12
At the Door - $12

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Location
Seattle Program Center
7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
Goodman A, Goodman B

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